Contact device



Nov. 2, 1943. I R. P. HANNA CONTACT DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1942 .4. mm m ma w w 1 A 4% m m a f Patented Nov. 2, 1943 2,333,562 CONTACT DEVICE Raymond P. Hanna, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor-to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application JanuaryQ, 1942, Serial No.42a204 6 Claims.

Mylnvention relates, generally, to contact devices, andithasreference, in particular, to conta'ctdevices for use in trolley conductor'systems.

Generally stated, it is an object of my invention to provide a trolley contact device that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which may be readily installed and serviced.

'More specifically, it is an obj ect of my invention to provide for resiliently supporting a pair of contactmemb-ers on substantially rigid supports on opposite sides of a trolley conductor for enagement with a current collector traversing the conductor.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide for resiliently supporting contact members adjacent a trolley conductor for engagement with a current collector so that the positionof the contact members relative to the conductor may be easily adjusted to compensate for Wear and to accommodate different operatingconditions.

"A further object of the invention is to provide -for supporting elongated contact members on opposite sides of a trolley conductor by means of substantially rigid transverse support members andutilizingspringmembers between the contact members and the support members to bias the contactmembersinto predetermined spaced relation with the conductor.

Yetanother object of the invention is to provlde fordetachably securing a contact member to transverse support members positioned adjacent a conductor so as to provide for predetermined movement Ofthe contact member relative to the support members and utilizing spring members to bias the contact member towards the conductor.

It is also an object or the invention to provide integral guard means for protecting a. trolley conductor contact device from damage by dewired current collectors.

Other objects will, in part, be obvious and will, in'part,' be explained more fully hereinafter.

In practicing my invention, a simple and inexpensive trolley conductor contact device may be provided by positioning contact members on opposite sides of a conductor and connecting them to substantially rigid support arms. The support arms are'secured'to an elongated body member positioned above the conductor, and adjustable connecting means connect the contact members thereto so as to provide for predetermined horizontal movement of the contact members'rel-ativeto thecondu'ctor. Springs bias the contact'members-towards the'conductor to provide a predetermined minimum spacing "therebetween. Longitudinal guard -mer nbers "secured to thesupport arms are connected to the end's'of the body member to provide for deflecting de- Wired. current collectors and preventing them from injuring the contact members.

For a more complete understanding of the natureand scope of my invention reference may be had to the following detailed description, which may be read in connection with the accompany'in g drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is aside elevational view, broken out in part, of a contact device embodying the prin cipal features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View, broken out inpart, or the contact device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig.3 is an end elevational view, broken out in part and partly sectioned, of the contact device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to'Figs 1 through '3, the reference numeral I'D may denote, generally, a contact device disposed tobe used in connection with a trolley conduct-or II for effecting engagement with a current collector (not shown) traversing the conductor. As shown, the contact device H! may comprise, generally an elongated body member I2 having spaced apart support members [3 to which contact members 14 positioned on opposite sides of the conductor I I may be connected by yieldable connecting means [5.

The body member l2 may comprise an elongated metal bar having a central portion IS with depressed end portions I I. The bar may be sup ported by a nut N3 secured to the central portion intermediate the ends to provide "for connection to support wires or the like. The body member I2 may be positioned relative to the trolley conductor H in any suitable manner, being, for example, connected by means of bolts [9 to in sulator supports 20, which may comprise more or less standard weather-proof molded spool type insulators having drip shields 2 I, and which may be attached by means of the trolley ears 22 to the trolley conductor. Since the contact device I0 is preferably substantially symmetrical longitudinally about the support nut IS, the insulator support and trolley ear supporting the left-hand end of the contact device have been omitted, in order to permit the device to be shortened and drawn to a larger scale. It will, however, be understood that similar support means may be used for supporting the left-hand end of the contact device. A terminal 23 may be provided on the body member for making electrical onn'ection thereto.

The support "members 1'3 which support the zontal movement of the contact members l4 relative to the conductor, so as to effect suitable engagement with a current collector traversing the conductor, the contact members may be yieldably connected to the arms 24 by the connecting means I5. The connecting means may also provide for detachably securing the contact members to the support members so that they may be easily removed for repair or renewal, and they may also be utilized to determine the minimum spacing between the contact members and the trolley conductors. For example, internally threaded bosses 23 may be secured to the contact members to receive the threaded end portions 29 of screws 30, which may be relatively loosely positioned in the openings 21 adjacent the ends of the support arms 24, so as to connect the contact members to the support arms in such a manner as to permit a predetermined amount of horizontal movement of the contact members. I i

The contact members I4 may be biased towards the conductor H by springs 32 positioned about the screws 3!! intermediate the contact members and the support arms in substantially the horizontal plane of the conductor. Suitable means may also be provided for normally preventing changes in the adjustment of the connecting means l5. For example, elongated slots 34 may be provided in the body portions of the screws 30, and means such as the pins 36, may be positioned therein through suitable openings 37 in the ends of the support arms 24, so as to prevent rotation of the screws 30 and yet permit longitudinal movement of the screws in the open ings.

In order to protect the contact deviceagainst damage through a blow from a dewired current collector or the like, suitable guard means may be provided. For example, elongated guard members 40 may be positioned on opposite sides of the contact device extending between the ends of the support arms 24. The end portions-4! of the guard members may be bowed inwardly towards the conductor H and bent upwardly to meet the depressed end portion ll of the body member, so as to form a tapered or pointed guard about the ends of the contact device. The end portions 4| of the guard members 40 may besecured to the depressed end portion I"! of the body member l2 in any suitable manner, such as, for example, by welds 42.

From the above description and the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have provided a trolley conductor contact device which is of simple and inexpensive construction and which is easy to install and to adjust. Movement of the contact members horizontally may be readily effected to insure positive contact with a passing current collector, and adjustment of the position of the contact members relative to the conductor may be readily effected by means of the screws 30 to compensate either for wear of the contact members orior different. operat 2,333,562 '1' i Ii T ing conditions incurred through the use of different widths of current collectors. Since the helical springs have a relatively great length relative to the distance through which the contact members move, the normal spring tension of the springs may be easily maintained. Furthermore, since the support members are rigid, the minimum spacing between the contact members and the conductor is at all times positively determined by the connecting means, thus preventing accidental contact of the contact members and r the conductor after a current collector disengages the contact members. The contact members may I be easily removed for repair or renewal, merely byremoving the pins 36 and loosening the screws Since different changes may be made in the above construction and difierent embodiments in the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all the matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing. shall be considered as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention: 3

1.. The combination in a trolley conductor con: tact device, of an elongated metallic bar support member secured to the conductor having substantially rigid transverse support arms dependent on one side of the conductor in spaced relation, an elongated rigid contact member positioned along one side of the conductor, and means yieldably connecting the contact member adjacent the ends of the support arms including means'adjust able to position the contact member in different predetermined relations to the'conductor.

2. A contact device comprising, an elongated metal body member, means including a pair of weatherproof insulators supported on the con ductor in spaced relationfor supporting the body member above a conductor, a pair of support members secured to the body member having substantially rigid arms dependent on opposite sides of the conductor, a pair of elongated contact members positioned on opposite sides of the conductor, adjustable connecting means securing the contact members tothe ends of the said arms for limited movement relative thereto, said means being adjustable to position the contact members in different predetermined. positions [relative to the conductor and helical spring members positioned about the connecting means to bias the contact members towards the conductor. 1

3. A contact device comprising, support means for connection to a conductor including n elongated metal bar having spaced transverse support arms dependent on each side of the conductor, a pair of elongated contact members positioned on opposite sides of the conductor connected to the arms adjacent the ends thereof, and resilient means interposed betwee'nthe contact. members and the support arms adjustable to biasthe cone tact members into difierent predetermined spaced relations with the conductor and detachably con.- nect them to the support arms. a

4. A trolley conductor contact device comprise ing, a pair of elongated contact members positioned on opposite sides of the conductor, support means including an elongated metal bar having depending end portions supported above the conductor and substantially U-shaped support arms dependent from themetal bar on each side of thelconductor, resilient connecting means connecting the contact members adjacent the ends of the support arms, and elongatedguard members connected between the support arms and the depending end portions of the metal bar.

5. A contact device for use with a trolley conductor comprising, support means including an elongated metal bar supported in insulated relation to the conductor and having a pair of sub stantially rigid transverse support members provided with opposed depending arms positioned in spaced relation, a pair of elongated contact members, means connecting the contact members adjacent the ends of the arms on opposite sides of the conductor, said means being adjustable to vary the normal position of the contact members relative to the conductor, spring means biasing the contact members towards the normal position relative to the conductor, and means normally preventin adjustment of the connecting means.

6. A contact device for use with a conductor comprising, an elongated metal bar body member having insulating means to position it above the conductor, a pair of substantially rigid U-shaped support members secured to the body member in spaced relation with the arms thereof dependent on opposite sides of the conductor, a pair of elongated rigid contact members positioned on opposite sides of the conductor, means detachably conmeeting the contact members to the arms of the support members adjacent the ends thereof, spring means associated with the arms biasing the contact members into predetermined spaced relation with the conductor, and guard members secured to the arms of the support members extending inwardly adjacent the ends to connect to the body member.

RAYMOND P. HANNA. 

